The new drive (model BWU-100A) supports up to 50 GB of data on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs or up to four hours of high-definition video using HDV 1080i on a BD-RE 50GB disc. The new drive is capable of burning a full 25GB disc in about 50 minutes.

For personal content captured on a HDV camcorder, the BD drive is optimized for keeping the video in the native HDV 1080i for playback on home players compatible with BD-AV format and PCs with BD drives installed.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that it has begun mass producing an 8-Gigabit NAND flash memory device, providing a much larger and more affordable storage density for consumer and mobile applications such as mobile phones, MP3 players and gaming consoles. The high-density MLC (multi-level-cell) memory is being produced with 60-nanometer process technology.

Samsung's 8Gb NAND flash memory, developed in September 2004, is the fifth consecutive NAND flash memory to follow the New Memory Growth Model of double density growth every 12 months, a pattern conceived by Dr. Chang Gyu Hwang, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Business.

Mass production of the new 8Gb chip allows Samsung to offer an 8-Gigabyte solution by vertically stacking two 4GB packages, each package carrying a vertical stack of four 8Gb dies. The 8GB NAND which can store 2000 MP3 files or 225 minutes of DVD-quality video is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2006.

Samsung plans to further utilize its 8-Gb NAND flash memory chip in Samsung's high-density MLC NAND, called moviNAND, to produce a 2GB-level NAND market solution. The recently introduced moviNAND combines NAND flash memory and a NAND controller and can be embedded in mobile handsets to accommodate the high data storage requirements that accompany the increasing number of multimedia features on mobile phones.

LaCie introduced the second generation of its high-end 300 series monitors, designed for graphics professionals on Macs or PCs. These series panels are now corrected at the factory to ensure the highest grade of brightness and chromaticity uniformity across the display area. Furthermore, 12-bit gamma correction enables even smoother color gradients. LaCie also added a 20-inch panel, the LaCie 320 Monitor, to its lineup of 19- and 20-inch panels.

The LaCie 320 Monitor is equipped with a uniformity-enhanced A-TW-IPS LCD panel offering a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels, luminance of 280cd/m², and a contrast ratio of 700:1. All 300 series monitors offer the benefit of a CRT-grade color gamut in a flat screen monitor. The broad gamut of displayed colors is a wide 72% of the NTSC video standards gamut and 100% of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) gamut.

The 12-bit gamma correction actually makes color transitions 16 times more precise than on regular 8-bit monitors and 4 times more precise than on 10-bit displays. Expansive viewing angles of 178° in all directions prevent grayscale inversion or any loss of contrast from the widest range of vantage points.

Version 4 of the LaCie blue eye pro calibration software is delivered with each 300 series monitors. Combined with the LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter (sold separately in a bundle or standalone), the LaCie blue eye pro software performs single-click hardware calibration of the display and produces an advanced ICC Profile that ensures color consistency throughout the workflow. It includes favorite features such as Colorimetric Environment Switching and Test & Report with new features such as manual FineTune enabling more precise white point results, Reference Profile Calibration enabling close matching of two monitors to the same profile, and more.

For the most demanding color-related tasks, such as photo retouching and on-screen proofing, the included LaCie easyHood ensures that external lighting conditions and surrounding light sources do not interfere with the display’s intrinsic colors. The anti-glare hood’s hinged design ensures an easy and stable installation, and includes a retractable hook for placement of a colorimeter during calibration.

LaCie 300 Series Monitors are immediately available for order via LaCie websites. The LaCie 320 and 321 will be widely available via LaCie’s specialized dealer network in July, and the LaCie 319 in September. The LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter is available as a standalone device for $349 or as a bundle at the suggested retail prices below. Monitors ship with the LaCie easyHood, LaCie blue eye pro calibration software, Pivot Pro software and all cables needed for immediate use.

Iomega's new REV 70GB Backup Drives feature improved transfer rates of 30 MB/sec. (max), versus 25 MB/sec for first-generation REV 35GB products. Both generations of REV products boast extensive third-party software support, estimated 30 year archival life, and an estimated one million rewrite durability - the kind of performance tape products such as DAT 72 can never match. And while tape products require frequent head cleaning and an expensive tape replacement regime, REV drives and disks are designed for continuous reliable use with zero maintenance.

REV 70GB Backup Drives come with a worldwide three-year warranty. REV 35GB Backup Drives are warranted for 1 year in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, 2 years in Europe.

Later this year, an extensive line of computer interface REV 70GB Backup Drives will be launching worldwide, including FireWire 400 and SATA, REV 70GB automation products, and REV 70GB Server Backup and Disaster Recovery kits.

The Iomega REV 70GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive retails for $599.95, including one REV 70GB disk. The Iomega REV 70GB ATAPI Backup Drive retails for $579.95, including one REV 70GB disk. Iomega REV 70GB disks are available for $69.00 each or in four-packs for $249.99. European pricing for REV 70GB Backup Drives, external USB 2.0 and internal ATAPI models, is 499 Euros, excluding VAT. REV 70GB disks in Europe will retail for 64.9 Euros, excluding VAT for a single disk; or in five-packs for 295 Euros, excluding VAT. All prices are suggested retail.

Intel Corporation unveiled five new products in the Dual-Core Intel Itanium 2 Processor 9000 series (more than 1.7 billion transistors). Previously codenamed “Montecito,” the new processors improve performance per watt by 2.5 times compared to existing, single-core versions. All server-maker members of the Itanium Solutions Alliance (ISA) will launch new Dual-Core Intel Itanium 2 Processor 9000 series-based products.

The flagship 9050 model features two complete processing cores and nearly triples the cache or memory reservoir versus Intel’s previous generation. It also can execute four instructions or threads per processor enhanced by Intel’s Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology).

Supporting the Dual-Core Intel Itanium 2 processor 9000 series are two rack-optimized Intel server systems: SR870BH2 and SR870BN4. These are available today to OEMs and systems integrators for enterprise and high-performance computing.

Intel dual- and single-core Itanium 2 processors are shipping today with systems coming available in late August and growing throughout the year.